Van S. de Leon
1 July 2007

Mr. Sonny Villafinia, Mr. Eduardo Pontaoe, Mr. Jeremia Andrade Carrera, Mr. Isidro Ramos and Nida Rofe.

I could see enthusiasm to honor this great Pangasinan hero-Mr. Ermin Garcia Sr. It is overdue as a matter of fact. Our enthusiasm must not fade.

May the other posters join in this crusade? The more we are, the better it will be. All current inputs and ideas posted here are very excellent .Yes, inch by inch, with frequent brain storming, we can put this idea to a reality fellow posters. We will keep on posting ideas.

I am willing to sit down with you guys in person. If you happen to be going to California, I am near John Wayne Airport in Orange Country, California. I can see you and meet you at the airport even for few hours or even in LAx. Just email me ahead of time. I will identify myself with drivers license and so do you also.

Mr. Andrade is based in Guam, Nida Rofe from Australia. I don’t know the rest. It would be a good idea to tell everyone where we are. We might be close to each other.

Anyway fellow posters, we must organize ourselves formally first so we can formally and systematically approach it.

There had been suggested avenues to take to achieve this. One suggested a request of resolution to be passed by the Dagupan City council. This is cost effective. I agree about the naming of the Dawel to Pantal Lucao Road or a portion of McArthur Highway that start from end to end of boundary within Pangasinan.

The statue is appropriate also and can be erected in Lingayen. Mr. Garcia epitomizes the ideals of Pangasinense and the whole Filipino Nation. If we can’t get a resolution from Dagupan City council then let us try the Provincial Board.

If it doesn’t work, let us approach the President of Pangasinan Mayor’s league. If not, the President of Pangasinan Barangay Captains League.

These are cost effective avenues to take. If it doesn’t work (With our own money) a manifesto published in Manila Bulletin and Sunday Punch.

Our last resort is to gather signatures for a petition. We will field people (hired by us and using our own money) for the expenses. Or a Pangasinan Congressman to sponsor a bill in light of this project.

Personally, I like the idea of naming a portion of Mc Arthur Highway named Ermin Garcia Memorial Highway and a Pangasinan Holiday on his birthday.

I feel strongly that the Mr. Ermin Garcia’s son and brother be not involved here nor any of the Sunday Punch Staff members. They are indirectly to be honored by this project.

Dear Fellow posters, can we be together for this project. The crusade needs more of you. Let us hear from you fellow Pangasinense posters. I think a resolution will suffice and easy to obtain.

What do you think fellow posters? All we need is to organize ourselves and approach the Mayor of Dagupan City. You know the next step if the Mayor will not agree.

Everything I wrote here are suggestions. Let us all go to Pangasinan and make this dream come true. Earliest time possible?

Kumusta la sirin, agagi. On galaw tayo.

Jeremias Andrade Carrera
1 July 2007

 

 

Ms Eva Visperas:

Your crying and asking the feelings and conscience of the masterminds, and when will it end will not help resolve the GROWING PROBLEM of POLITICAL and EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS in the Philippines which also includes too many journalists.

You stated that the police can not be blamed for the incidents because no amount of security can prevent a determined assassin from executing his victim and that is correct but there are measures of deterrence.

It is a national problem which this administration denies and has no intention or the will to solve it.

Remember that this administration repealed the death sentence for heinous crimes, however the bleeding-heart GMA relished seeing those mere suspects gunned down by the police by personally going to the crime scene but will not permit execution of heinous criminals whose sentences were affirmed by the Supreme Court.

The fair question for the Pangasinan police to answer then is: How many of the assassinations (Zaragoza, Tabayoyong, Peralta, Kho, Rodrigo, Aquino, Apilado, Resuello) killer and masterminds have they solved to this date.

The problem can be solved if those in power will have the “WILL” like that of Mayor Lim of Manila who warned the criminals to “EVAPORATE”.

Are you playing it safe by not asking the right question to the responsible officials?

Is that what journalism is about today-PAPOGI NEWS and DAMAGE CONTROL for the image of the responsible officials?

Hope

TOMORROW’S otherwise routine Monday morning flag ceremony in town and city halls will be special.

July 2 marks the beginning of the term of office of the local government officials who won the people’s confidence and approval in the mid-term election last May 14.

Majority of the mayors are re-elected, 31 of them, although the new faces also represent a significant number at a total of 17. But most noteworthy of all is that the kapitolyo in Lingayen will have a new servant-leader.

As the flag is hoisted and the Lupang Hinirang is sang almost simultaneously  around Pangasinan, there will be a profound sense of anticipation and hope in the air — the kind that is characteristic of  beginnings, the same feeling of eagerness and optimism that we experience during the birth of a child or on wedding days.
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Another good news, bad news!

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

First the good news. Dagupan City Administrator Raffy Baraan is finally out! Now, the bad news - the new provincial administrator is Raffy Baraan!

You have to hand it to the guy. While other government appointees now out of job would normally cry their hearts ruing the day they allowed themselves to be the pointment in scandal-ridden and graft-tainted projects, my favorite administrator used these credentials to land   him a bigger job, with bigger opportunities. Eat your heart out, ex-chief Onor-onor Jojo Guadiz!

With Baraan taking orders from newly-elected Gov. Amado Espino, it looks like I will have a favorite governor in Mr. Espino in the next 3 years. There won’t even be time to blink!
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Final homecoming for Pinoy Armboy

By Gerry Garcia

PANGASINENSES have every reason to be proud like the bereaved parents themselves over the military honors the Iraq-based US Infantry Regiment gave a Fil-Am soldier during his recent burial at a Catholic cemetery in Lingayen.

The late Fil-American, 25, happened to be the son of Ricardo “Dick” Primicias and wifey Maria Minda Correa. Dick is a brother of Atty. Johnny “Elvis” Primicias, a contemporary bosom pal of ours , US Army Sgt. Richard “Valiant” Correa was killed in Iraq by an improvised  explosive device detonated hear his position.
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Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez blends talent and service

By Jun Velasco

A NEW set of officials under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has just taken their oaths of office. Many of us don’t give a damn any more, courtesy of the kind of do-nothing and corrupt officials we have had for decades.

Many are blaming the government for their (officials’) ineptness and/or corrupt practices but nobody does anything about it. Worse, they (the governed) have become part of mis-government because it is more profitable to do so.

That adage, “we are as good or as bad as our government” is an inescapable fact.
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Go for it, Guv’nor Spines!

By Gonzalo Duque

I HAVE addressed him Guv’nor Spines - without the “elect” anymore— because by the time you are reading this, our new governor, small but terrible Amado “Spines” Espino would already have taken his oath as Pangasinan governor.

Hooray, Spines, congrats, again!

Also, happy birthday, sir Spines! How young are you now, Guv?

Prof. Nick Melecio loves to relate to the baby boomers of Pangasinan,  the voluble lot during the late 60’s and early 70’s who already showed signs of becoming leaders of the province and country “someday,” that one of the big names was Amado Espino.
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